1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to providing e-commerce and satellite subscription activation using a pay-TV receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Television programs are distributed to viewers by a variety of broadcasting methods. These methods include traditional analog broadcast television (National Television Systems Committee or “NTSC” standard), the digital broadcast television (Advanced Television Systems Committee or “ATSC” standard), cable television (both analog and digital), satellite broadcasting (both analog and digital), as well as other methods. These methods allow channels of television content to be multiplexed and transmitted over a common transmission medium.
To view a television program, a customer may have to subscribe to a service package offered by a pay-TV service/transmission provider such as a satellite transmitter (e.g., DIRECTV) or a cable company. Such a pay-TV service provider may require a user to utilize a set-top box, receiver, or integrated receiver decoder (IRD) that enables the descrambling or decryption of the transmission. The set-top box may be configured to allow the viewing of one or more particular channels, programs, etc. based on a customer's payment or subscription. Accordingly, when a customer subscribes to a service package, the pay-TV service provider enables the set-top box to allow the customer to view the transmissions in the selected package.
To initialize a subscription service, the customer must obtain a receiver. Once a receiver is purchased or provided to a customer, the customer must install or connect the receiver to a television, install the satellite dish (if necessary), and activate service with the transmission provider. To install and connect the receiver, the customer must call the pay-TV service provider to schedule a person to install and connect the relevant components. Further, to activate service, the customer must call the pay-TV service provider where a series of questions are answered and the customer selects a subscription package. Thereafter, the pay-TV service provider activates the service by communicating with the receiver and billing the customer monthly. Accordingly, service activation is a time consuming process for the customer and causes the pay-TV service provider to incur numerous expenses for the phone operators and technicians to activate the service.
Once service has been initiated, the customer must call the pay-TV service provider to alter or change the service. The prior art provides pay-per-view programs or channels wherein a customer may pay for a particular channel or program. A customer may select a particular pay-per-view program or channel using a remote control that communicates with the set-top box. Once the pay-per-view program has been selected, information regarding the selected pay-per view program is stored in the receiver until the receiver transmits the information to the pay-TV service provider through a modem attached to the receiver. Thereafter, the pay-TV service provider receives the information and bills the customer in a standard monthly bill. If the customer is delinquent, the pay-TV service provider may never be paid or may have to “float” the money until the customer pays. The pay-TV service provider must employ and utilize personnel to handle such bills and billing matters. Thus, the pay-TV service provider is incurring expenses on behalf of a customer.
In addition to merely watching a television program, customers may often view a commercial, infomercial, movie, television program, etc. and elect to purchase merchandise or services advertised or used therein. However, to complete such a purchase, a customer must find the appropriate vendor, contact the vendor, and place and pay for the order. An efficient mechanism for making purchases using a remote control and the television is not available.
What is needed is a method for efficiently and automatically activating a transmission service without the need to call the pay-TV service provider. Additionally, what is needed is an efficient and automatic method for payment by a customer for a subscription. Further, what is also needed is an efficient and automatic method for ordering and paying for merchandise and services utilizing components already available to the customer without the customer having to physically call a vendor.